50 First Dates

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore have some kind of remarkable romantic-comedy alchemy together that makes him seem like a genuine catch of a lovable man-boy and makes her flightiness seem cute. In The Wedding Singer, they turned one of Hollywood's most insipid clichés (the guy in love must save the apparently blind and stupid girl from marrying a jerk) into a funny little charmer, and they've succeeded again in 50 First Dates, an equally gimmick-dependent laugher in which Sandler plays a Sea World veterinarian who falls for Barrymore, a bright-eyed darling with short-term memory loss--the poor guy has to keep wooing her over and over and over. At first the movie limps along on Sandler-brand lowbrow shtick (a barfing walrus, Rob Schneider as an obnoxious sidekick) and the central gimmick leads to some unnecessary exaggeration. Since 50 First Dates remains true to its characters, however, the film rises above its faults with good humor (after the tactless first act anyway) and genuinely appealing performances. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by star Drew Barrymore and director Peter Segal, the 20-minute “making of” featurette “The Dating Scene,” a 19-minute Comedy Central Reel Comedy special (hosted by Rob Schneider as “Ula”), a seven-minute blooper reel, five minutes of five deleted scenes (with optional commentary), a four-minute “Talkin' Pidgin” featurette on Hawaiian slang, the music videos “Hold Me Now” by Wayne Wonder, and “Love Song” and “Amber” by 311, cast and crew filmographies, a spot for Adam Sandler's latest album Shhh…Don't Tell, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a semi-charming film.] (R. Blackwelder)